Christmas 2025 
St. John’s Cathedral, Limerick
 

A few weeks ago, a woman told me of a conversation she had with a friend of hers. She found herself complaining about a lot of things to do with her circle of friends and the state of our world today. When the conversation was concluding, she apologised to her friend because she realised she had been overly critical of everyone and everything. Her friend’s replied surprised her. She said: “Perhaps you are right in a lot of the things you said. But remember. Keep the light on.”

I was struck by that phrase “keep the light on”. This Christmas, as we come to the end of the great Jubilee Year of Hope, the invitation is to each of us is keep the light of hope on. With a gloom encircling our world so full of wars and horrible killings and tense relations between nations, and with anxiety levels increasing in society, not least among young people, it is no surprise we can find ourselves tempted to be downcast and fearful for the future.

And yet so often during this Jubilee year, we have heard repeated again and again the words of St. Paul: hope does not disappoint. Each year Christmas comes around again like an annual reminder to lift up our hearts no matter situation we are in and renew our hope because God is Emmanuel, God is with us. The One who is the Son of God, “light from light”, the rising Sun comes from on high to visit us, to give light to those who live in darkness and the shadow of death. He comes to be born in the darkness of a night, in the poverty of a cave, in the hopelessness of displacement experienced by Mary and Joseph, in the hiddenness of small remote town far from the Emperor’s power and dominance, in the littleness of a vulnerable, fragile and helpless child.

Yes, Christmas is the story of God’s appearing to let us realise he can reach into our darkness and fragility, fractious relations and confusion. He instils hope. Like he did to the shepherds when they heard the angel’s greeting: “do not be afraid”. They knew they had to go and see…. 
These words are addressed also to us. Cast off whatever cloak of worry or concern or fear you have and rush to the One who can offer you peace. He is the Prince of Peace and he is there waiting for you. Come before him in the crib and hear God say, “this is my Son, my beloved, trust him, believe in him, he has come for you, yes, for you”. If you think your heart is poor in love, this night is for you. God has come to shine forth in your life. Accept his immense love for you.  

And then look around and see where this light can shine in our world through you. As Jesus said: “Let your light so shine before all, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16). While we might feel helpless regarding the big problems of our day, such as homelessness, violence and drug trafficking, remember each of us can make a difference where we are. We know the saying, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”. Each of us can take that single step, at least, deep within us, starting in our heart’s decision to love. Hope calls us – as Saint Augustine would say – to be upset with things that are wrong and to find the courage to change them. But we might feel – I don’t have much to bring, I can’t see how I can bring change…

There’s a legend that says that at the birth of Jesus the shepherds hurried to the stable with different gifts. But as they were all presenting their gifts, there was one shepherd who was very poor and he had nothing to give. He was embarrassed and stood apart. But at a certain point, Mary, noticed that shepherd with empty hands and she asked him to draw near. She put the baby Jesus in his arms. That shepherd, in accepting the child Jesus, became aware of having received what he did not deserve, of holding in his arms the greatest gift of all time. He looked at his hands, those hands that had seemed to him so empty. They had become the cradle of God. He felt himself loved and, overcoming his embarrassment, he began to show Jesus to the others, for he could not keep for himself the gift of gifts.

It is Christ in us who can love Christ in our neighbour. Through concrete gestures of love we let Christ work in us and so can switch light on in the lives of family and  relatives, friends and neighbours. “Whoever hates his brother – writes the Apostle John – is in the darkness; he walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 Jn 2:11). But because of Christmas, Christ the Light of Love in us overcomes darkness and, as St. John tells us: “Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light”. 

Yes, because of Christmas we can walk in the light, living godly lives as the second reding puts it. Our love with its ethical compass, values and principles, will keep the light of hope on in our times that can appear characterised by an encircling gloom. 

Jesus, the Son of God is the great and eternal day who has come from the great and endless day of eternity into our own short day of time. So says Saint Augustine and Pope Leo often quotes Saint Augustine who says, “Let us live well, and the times will be good. We are the times.” In other words, “the times” are not something outside of us. We are the times. We cannot simply wait around for things to get better. It’s up to us to choose to take the step to improve each day in love, the love the Child Jesus came on earth to pour into our hearts the Love that brings peace in our times. We are the times of peace.